Rum balls

Rum Balls

Ingredients

Makes 16 rum balls

2 eggs

215 gms (1 cup) caster sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla essence

 150 gms (1 cup) self-raising flour (if you don’t have self-raising flour, just add 2 tsp baking powder to 1 cup of plain all purpose flour

 50 gms (1/3 cup) plain flour

 50 gms (1/2 cup) Cocoa Powder

 160 ml (2/3 cup) cooking oil

 60 ml (1/4 cup) milk

Oil to grease baking pan

4 tbsp Rum*

For ganache

100 gms dark chocolate

100 gms cooking cream

To decorate

Cocoa powder or icing or sprinkles            

Mini cupcake moulds (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush a square 19 cms cake pan and grease with some oil. Using an electric beater. beat the eggs and sugar in a small bowl until pale and creamy. Beat in the vanilla. In a separate bowl, sift in the combined flours and cocoa powder. Fold the flour into the egg mixture and combine. Add the oil and milk, and fold until well incorporated

Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Poke holes with a toothpick or skewer and pour 2 tbsp rum over the top. Cover and keep it overnight for rum to seep into the cake.

Next day, crumble the cake with your hands. Add 2 tbsp rum, mix and form into balls by pressing hard and shaping them.

Break chocolate bits into a bowl. Prepare the ganache by heating cream to boiling point. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate bits and mix to form a smooth paste. Dip each ball into the ganache and set on a baking sheet to dry.

To decorate: Dust some rum balls with cocoa powder. Drizzle icing on some of the balls, Sprinkle chocolate or colored sprinkles on some rum balls and place them on mini baking cupcake paper moulds. Chill in the fridge for half an hour.

*If you do not wish to use alcohol, simply mix 4 tbsp strawberry jam when you crumble the cake to form balls.